Boels Rental Hills Classic - Race Overview

Emma Johansson won a game of strength and smarts to win the Boels Rental Hills Classic in Holland from a three-up sprint. The podium emerged from a six rider breakaway that formed at the mid-point of the one day race. It is Johansson’s fifth win of the 2014 season and the seventh victory for ORICA-AIS.

Gracie Elvin proved the early animator. The Australian National Road Champion slipped away from the peloton in the opening kilometres of the hilly course. She intentionally kept the advantage between herself and the bunch to a minimum in an effort to entice bridge attempts

Although several riders attempted to make their way to Elvin’s wheel, none of the efforts proved successful. The final bridge attempt saw Elvin return to the bunch as the peloton reacted to the lone chaser.

Johansson’s escape group took shape shortly after Elvin’s catch. The six strong breakaway included Roxane Knetemann (Rabobank-Liv), Sabrina Stultiens (Rabobank-Liv), Ellen van Dijk (Boels-Dolmans), Katarzyna Pawlowska (Boels-Dolmans) and Amy Pieters (Giant Shimano). It didn’t take long for the leaders to have a two minute advantage over the bunch.

Twenty kilometres from the finish, Johansson’s group had stretched their lead behind the three minute mark. It was game on in the breakaway when Ellen van Dijk threw the first missive.The attacks would continue until the final two kilometres. By then, only Johansson, van Dijk and Pieters could contend for the stage.

“I was the last into the corner, but I took the inside line. Ellen had to come around Amy on the outside. I had a good gap coming out of the corner, and I held onto it to the line. I had stand up, sit down and stand up again. There was lactate coming out of my eyeballs, but I did it.” - Emma Johansson

"Emma looked like a million bucks up that last climb. I could tell she had enough left in the tank to pull off the sprint. The best bike rider won the race today.” - Sport Director Martin Barras

**Note regarding results below: Time gaps for top nine not recorded on official results. Will update if/when we get results that indicate correct time gaps.**